1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an approved data processing system and in particular to object-oriented programming systems. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for attaching informational dialogs to Java Beans.
2. Description of Related Art
Object-oriented programming techniques involve the definition, creation, use, and instruction of “objects”. These objects are software entities comprising data elements or attributes and methods, which manipulate data elements. Objects also may include data related to events outside of the object to trigger or control methods within the object.
Java is an object oriented programming language and environment focusing on defining data as objects and the methods that may be applied to those objects. Java supports only a single inheritance, meaning that each class can inherit from only one other class at any given time. Java also allows for the creation of totally abstract classes known as interfaces, which allow the defining of methods that may be shared with several classes without regard for how other classes are handling the methods.
The Java virtual machine (JVM) is a virtual computer component that resides in memory. In some cases, the JVM may be implemented in a processor. The JVM allows Java programs to be executed on a different platform as opposed to only the one platform for which the code was compiled. Java programs are compiled for the JVM. In this manner, Java is able to support applications for many types of data processing systems, which may contain a variety of central processing units and operating systems architectures.
To enable a Java application to execute on different types of data processing systems, a compiler typically generates an architecture-neutral file format—the compiled code is executable on many processors, given the presence of the Java run-time system. The Java compiler generates bytecode instructions that are non-specific to a particular computer architecture. These bytecodes are executed by a Java interpreter. A Java interpreter is a module in the JVM that alternately decodes and executes a bytecode or bytecodes.
A Java bean is a reusable component. Currently, no standard is defined for how to attach an informational dialog, often referred to as a “splash screen”, to an existing Java bean. Such a dialog would appear whenever the given Java bean is executed, just before it is displayed, and would contain text and/or an image, with a button used to dismiss the dialog. Splash screens usually contain legal information, or simply information about the company that developed the product. Splash screens can also be used as reminders, such as in the case of shareware software that should be registered and paid for.
Furthermore, since Java beans are a form of component software, it is often the case that one Java bean will be created by connecting together, or “aggregating”, several Java beans from various sources to form an application. In such cases, the person performing the aggregation is often not an actual programmer. But just an “application assembler”, who simply takes “off-the-shelf” software components and puts them together in a way that would be useful to a particular audience. These application assemblers find it undesirable to be required to learn Java coding sufficiently to create a splash screen to attach to their creations. Instead, application assemblers would prefer a standard means to attach a customizable splash screen dialog to their assembled Java bean without having to write code to attach the splash screen.
In addition, attachment of a splash screen dialog to a Java bean should avoid having to modify the original Java bean in question after development or aggregation was complete. As a post-development process requiring no access to the source code of the original Java bean, the addition of a splash screen is one that might be added by a legal department just before making the finished product available. It is also desirable that the application of the splash screen could be performed by another organization altogether, such as a software distributor attaching disclaimers or advertisements.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have an improved method and apparatus for attaching an informational dialog, such as a splash screen dialog, to a Java bean.